Help Us, Jacoby-Wan, You’re Our Only Hope
The Red Sox broke with recent history and leaped to an early lead. David Ortiz slammed a solo shot into the left field stands and then tossed his bat farther than a Nick Punto batted ball. I expected retaliation in this game against the designated hitter, but I’m sure David Price or James Shields or both will buzz Papi sometime in the next two games.
It made me think of those tense games with the Devil Rays when Pedro Martinez pitching. If you miss Martinez, you can order a personalized “egraph” from him. Amazingly enough an egraph from Martinez is the same dollars as Price and Shields, which is rather like allowing the same rate per pound as Prime and Choice beef.
A Pedro almost as electrifying as Martinez continued to turn heads. Pedro Ciriaco went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and a stolen base. You know you’ve made it when your difficult-to-pronounce name is correctly enunciated by Jerry Remy.
Jacoby Ellsbury returned to the field but didn’t look quite ready for prime time yet. He was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. He didn’t even have the best play in the outfield last night, either. That honor goes to Ryan Sweeney, who dashed in to snare B.J. Upton’s sinking liner and recovered in time to fire the ball to the cutoff man Mike Aviles. Aviles relayed to Punto in time to tag out Ben Zobrist for a pivotal double play in the eighth. The next batter, Jeff Keppinger, ran out an infield single that Zobrist could have scored on had he been safe. This is the sort of play that Boston failed to execute during the first half of the season. Perhaps things really have turned around.
Of concern is the late scratch of Adrian Gonzalez. Reports surfaced stating the first baseman’s back seized up on him when he greeted a child in a stroller. Boston fans in St. Petersburg: please do not engage players in direct eye contact — serious injury may result. To the player, that is.
| Game 87: July 13, 2012 | ||
 Boston Red Sox44-43 |
3 |
W: Franklin Morales (2-2) H: Scott Atchison (5), Matt Albers (6), Vicente Padilla (20) S: Alfredo Aceves (20) |
| 2B: Mike Aviles (23) HR: David Ortiz (23) | ||
| Tampa Bay Rays 45-42 |
1 |
L: Jeremy Hellickson (4-6) |
| 2B: Ben Zobrist 2 (20), Jose Lobaton (6), Sean Rodriguez (11) | ||
